The Semmering in 1900 - in search of a lost world

There was a time when the Semmering was a household name far beyond the borders of the Habsburg Empire. Its location at an altitude of 1,000 m, its incomparably healthy climate (which it has retained to today), its scenic charm, characterized by the interplay of rugged rock formations and gentle woods, its proximity to the Imperial capital and the impressive journey there by the first mountain railway in Europe, with its tunnels and viaducts, made the Semmering the meeting-place of celebrities from the fields of society, politics and the arts. Oskar Kokoschka, Adolf Loos, Peter Altenburg and Karl Kraus - to name just a few - gathered strength for their works on the Semmering, and some of them even had their second domicile here. Even today the appearance of the Semmering is still determined by the imposing hotels and ornate villas from the turn of the century.